Golf putter guide



8" 30, 1966 J. J. TADDIE ETAL 3,269,733

GOLF PUTTER GUIDE Filed Nov. 18, 1963 Faguma 2 5 a w WZW WE m 50W r WA r ITS M A La Fa uma 4 United States Patent Fla.

Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,394 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-183) This invention relates to a putter guide for golf games or for golf practice devices and whereby to correct the normal swing of a player and to correct the stance of the player when the player is disposed adjacent this device and to indicate and correct the movement of a putter club in propelling a golf ball toward the cup.

The device primarily is a practice guide whereby a generally U-shaped elongated frame is provided and with the frame being open at one end and means carried by the frame whereby to fiX the frame in an elevated position above the ground to the normal level that is employed in the swing of a putter.

The invention contemplates a U-shaped frame open at one end in the direction of the movement of the club and a rearwardly extending arm that is connected to a base member having pronged engagement into the ground for maintaining the guide in a predetermined elevation in accordance with a normal swing of the club further, the invention contemplates a movable guide device that is clipped upon a forward guide rod and that is movable along the guide rod to position the guide device substantially at a point normally constituting the beginning of the stroke of the golf club.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a pronged mounting base for the support of the guide, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the guide, broken away, for purpose of illustration.

In the drawings; the guide comprises a generally U- shaped frame having a forward rod 5 and a rear rod 6 that are parallel and formed integral by a generally U- shaped inner end 7. The guide is open at its leading end as indicated at 8. The rod 5 is bent at a right angle as indicated at 9, constituting a stop and a guide to facilitate the engagement of a golf club into the socket, indicated by the numeral 10. The rod 6 is welded or otherwise connected to a standard 11, as indicated at 12 and the standard 11 is provided with a perpendicular member 13, that has a socket engagement with a socket 14, formed upon a cylindrical base 15. The socket 14 is split and is provided with a clamping nut or screw 16, whereby the rod 13 is effectively clamped with respect to the base 15. The base is provided with a plurality of prongs 17 whereby the device may be forced into the ground for supporting the guide at a predetermined elevation above the ground or above any other suitable support. The split socket 14 and the clamping screw 16 permit the rod 13 and the guide to be adjustable in a horizontal plane and whereby loosening of the screw 16 permits the frame to be swung to various poistions to realign the guide without removing the base 15 from the turf or green and thus the player can play all holes on the green from one set position of the base 15, by the prong 17.

Patented August 30, 1966 As will be clearly observed, in FIGURES 2 and 4, the forward rod 5 is grooved for its major length upon its forward side, as indicated at 18.

Adapted to traverse the groove 18 is an aligner prong 19, having a stud 20 that engages into the groove 18. The aligner 19 projects forwardly from the rod 5 and is horizontally arranged and the aligner 19 is provided with a spring clip 21 that conforms to the curvature of the rod 5 and that frictionally engages the rod for securely positioning the aligner 19.

In the use of the device, the base 15 is forced into the ground, being securely seated within the ground by the prong 17. The guide device 10 is then engaged with the base by inserting the vertical portion 13 of the rod 11 into the socket 14, where it is clamped by the screw 16. The device is now held in a vertical position, with the U-shaped frame constituting the guide being in a horizontal position with respect to the ground. Depending upon the normal swing of the player, the aligner may be shifted to any desirable point along the rod 5 where it will be effectively held by the clip 21. The golf club indicated at 22 in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 is then inserted into the rectangular opening of the guide and, with the shaft of the club aligned with the aligner 19. This is the normal position for the particular player when he is prepared to drive the ball to the cup. With the shaft aligned with the aligner 19 and the player being positioned behind the device, the club is first rearwardly moved to the right and then swung forwardly to contact the ball, and the device thus constitutes an elongated slot or opening whereby the putter club is moved in a straight line for propelling the ball to the cup. Normally, putting clubs are difficult to maintain in accurate guided position toward the cup and the device of this invention is a guide whereby the player may effectively learn to swing the club in a definite direction toward a definite remote point.

The device will obviously function to effectively instruct or facilitate the instruction of a golf player in the positioning and rnovement of a putting club in a particular direction toward a golf cup. The device maintains the club during its swinging movement in an accurate path and of course the device is anchored into the ground so that the opening 8 is pointed toward a golf cup or the like and obviously, the device would not be permissible in a regular game of golf and only serves as an instructional device for the normal swing of a putter for propelling a golf ball in a predetermined direction toward the golf cup. The device is simple in construction, is strong, durable and is formed of relatively hard wire stock that will be accurately maintained in spaced relation with respect to the rods 5 and 6.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. A golf putter guide for use in guiding a putter to propel a golf ball toward a cup, that comprises an elongated U-shaped frame that is open at one end and closed at its opposite end, the frame having a fixed L-shaped arm that is connected to one side of the frame and that projects downwardly into fixed engagement with a socket that is carried by a mounting plate, the mounting plate upon its bottom being provided with a plurality of prongs and whereby the prongs may be forced into the ground to support the guide in a position of elevation, the guide being disposable in a direction toward the golf cup and whereby the shaft of a putter may be engaged into the frame and guided in its swinging movement to propel the ball and an adjustable pointer movable along 3 the other side of the frame whereby the putter may be aligned with the pointer to determine the degree of swinging movement of the putter.

2. A golf putter guide of the character described that embodies a guide frame that is formed of relatively heavy rods and with the rods spaced apart to form an elongated guide socket, the rods being connected together at one end and open at a discharge end, a supporting rod that is fixed to one of the rods of the guide and that is bent downwardly to form a right angle leg portion, the last named rod constituting a supporting means to position the guide at a predetermined elevation above the ground, the last named rod at its free end engaged and clamped into a socket, the socket being carried by a relatively wide circular plate and with the plate upon its underside being provided with a plurality of piercing prongs whereby the plate may be supported upon the ground to maintain the guide in a predetermined position against movement, and a pointer extending outwardly from the rod that forms the outer side of the frame and with the pointer being adjustable along the rod whereby the pointer may be adjusted in accordance with the desired movement of a putter club that is engaged in the frame and to determine the driving arc of the putter.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the frame embodies outer and inner rods and with the pointer being supported upon the outer rod, the outer rod being grooved to receive a tongue formed upon the pointer and whereby to maintain the pointer in a horizontal position and a yieldable clamp carried by the pointer that frictionally engages the outer rod for maintaining the pointer at any selected position.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the guide is formed of a single section of rod material that is bent upon itself to form a U-shaped frame and with the rods forming the frame being in spaced apart relation to provide the elongated socket for the shaft of a putter, the forward end of the frame being open for permitting the shaft of the putter to be inserted into the guide and to also permit the putter to travel beyond the frame during the driving action of the putter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 720,406 2/ 1903 Clifford 273186 1,545,648 7/1925 Fletcher 273-192 2,894,755 7/1959 Scelzo 273l92 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GOLF PUTTER GUIDE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED THAT EMBODIES A GUIDE FRAME THAT IS FORMED OF RELATIVELY HEAVY RODS AND WITH THE RODS SPACED APART TO FORM AN ELONGATED GUIDE SOCKET, THE RODS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER AT ONE END AND OPEN AT A DISCHARGE END, A SUPPORTING ROD THAT IS FIXED TO ONE OF THE RODS OF THE GUIDE AND THAT IS BENT DOWNWARDLY TO FORM A RIGHT ANGLE LEG PORTION, THE LAST NAMED ROD CONSTITUTING A SUPPORTING MEANS TO POSITION THE GUIDE AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATION ABOVE THE GROUND, THE LAST NAMED ROD AT ITS FREE END ENGAGED AND CLAMPED INTO A SOCKET, THE SOCKET BEING CARRIED BY A RELATIVELY WIDE CIRCULAR PLATE AND WITH THE PLATE UPON ITS UNDERSIDE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF PIERCING PRONGS WHEREBY THE PLATE MAY BE SUPPORTED UPON THE GROUND TO MAINTAIN THE GUIDE IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION AGAINST MOVEMENT, AND A POINTER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE ROD THAT FORMS THE OUTER SIDE OF THE FRAME AND WITH THE POINTER BEING ADJUSTABLE ALONG THE ROD WHEREBY THE POINTER MAY BE ADJUSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DESIRED MOVEMENT OF A PUTTER CLUB THAT IS ENGAGED IN THE FRAME AND TO DETERMINE THE DRIVING ARC OF THE PUTTER. 